• Can a very thin pregnant mare lose weight during lactation?
  Yes, pregnant mares that are already underweight may lose additional weight during lactation due to the high nutritional demands for milk production.
• Recommended feed:
  EPOLDRIN is specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of lactating mares, providing high energy density, protein, minerals, and vitamins to support milk quality and quantity while maintaining body condition during late pregnancy and lactation.

• Does the horse need electrolytes?
  Yes, sweating leads to the loss of water and electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. These losses can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, and reduced thirst response, leading to dehydration.

Recommended supplement: REHIDRAMAX is essential to replenish both water and electrolytes.

• Is feeding only hay a solution to slow growth?
  No, hay and pasture are often deficient in essential nutrients like zinc, copper, calcium, phosphorus, and high-quality protein. Lysine, a critical amino acid for growth, may also be insufficient.
• Recommended feed:
  A specific concentrate for growing foals, such as YOUNG, combined with good-quality hay or pasture, is essential for healthy development.

• What is the ideal timing for feeding before an event?
• Offer small amounts of hay and provide constant access to water.
• Avoid feeding concentrates 2–3 hours before the event.
• After exercise, prioritize hay and water first, followed by concentrates 1.5 hours later.

• Possible cause:
  This could indicate the consumption of low-quality forage, causing the large intestine to retain it longer to extract nutrients, leading to abdominal distension.
• Solution:
  Improve forage quality or substitute part of the forage with digestible fiber products like WAFER, ALFALFA, or ALFABEET.

Recommendation:For horses prone to weight gain, use a balancer like BALANCE, which provides essential nutrients with low caloric density, ensuring proper nutrition without adding extra weight.

• Challenges:
  Thin horses should not receive highly caloric meals immediately, as this could cause gastrointestinal disturbances, including colic.
• Feeding strategy:
• Offer small, frequent meals of hay.
• Include moist alfalfa forage (WAFER, ALFALFA, or ALFABEET) for hydration.

Use a high-calorie, digestible concentrate like NATURE MASH.

Recommendation:Choose feeds with energy derived from fibers and high-bioavailability lipids, such as EASYMIX and PALATIN. For highly excitable horses, consider NATURE MASH or GASTRO PRO.

Observation:Oats are highly digestible and a great cereal for horses, but in some cases, they may contribute to excitability due to their energy content. For nervous horses, opt for oat-free feeds like EASYMIX or PALATIN.

Are muesli feeds better than pellets?No, the difference lies in presentation. Some horses prefer one form over the other, but the nutritional value is the same. For guidance, consult a qualified technician.

• Depends on the case:
  Concentrates provide all essential nutrients for most horses. However, competition horses or specific cases may require additional supplements. Consult an Horsix technician.

How much hay should be fed daily?Forage should make up 60–70% of a horse's diet. A 500 kg horse in moderate work should consume around 6–7 kg of high-quality hay daily, complemented by 3–4 kg of concentrates.

• Recommendation:
  Divide concentrate feed into at least three daily meals, ensuring no meal exceeds 2 kg to accommodate the horse's small stomach capacity.

How to transition diets:Make gradual changes over 7–10 days, mixing the old feed with the new one. Visible effects of dietary changes may take 3–4 weeks.

• Feed:
  Horsix offers personalized support to help select the ideal feed for your horse.
• Hay:
  Opt for high-quality hay, as it is more nutritious and digestible than straw. Intacol provides hay quality analyses to guide your choice.

• Recommendation:
  Feed hay before concentrates. This encourages slower eating, better digestion, and prevents rapid passage of feed into the hindgut, reducing the risk of acidity, dysbiosis, colic, or laminitis.